Wagering game with group jackpot

ABSTRACT

System and method are disclosed for conducting a wagering game having increased excitement and enjoyment. The method/system of the invention involves a bank of wagering game terminals connected to a bank server. In addition to a basic wagering game, the wagering game terminals allow players to play a bonus game where only one or some of the players may win a prize. In one implementation, the prize is a jackpot composed entirely of game credits won by the players in the bonus game and pooled by the bank server. In another implementation, only players at wagering game terminals that exceed a minimum level of wagering activity may play the bonus game. The player that wins the bonus game receives the jackpot. If there are multiple winners, the jackpot is distributed amongst the winners based on their performance in the bonus game or some other criterion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application for patent claims priority to, and hereby incorporatesby reference, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/615,482, entitled“WAGERING GAME WITH GROUP JACKPOT,” filed on Oct. 1, 2004 with theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to wagering game terminals and,more particularly, to a method and system of conducting a wagering gamein which players at several wagering game terminals compete against eachother while striving toward a common goal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wagering game terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines,and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for severalyears. Generally, the popularity of such terminals among players dependson the perceived likelihood of winning money at the terminal and theintrinsic entertainment value of the terminal relative to otheravailable gaming options. Where the available gaming options include anumber of competing terminals and the expectation of winning eachterminal is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players aremost likely to be attracted to the more entertaining and exciting of theterminals. Consequently, wagering game terminal operators strive toemploy the most entertaining and exciting terminals available becausesuch terminals attract frequent play and, hence, increase profitabilityfor the operators. Thus, in the highly competitive wagering gameterminal industry, there is a continuing need to develop new types ofgames, or improvements to existing games, that will enhance theentertainment value and excitement associated with the games.

One concept that has been successfully employed in existing wageringgame terminals to enhance player entertainment is the use of progressivegames. In the gaming industry, a “progressive” game involves collectingcoin-in data from participating wagering game terminals (e.g., slotmachines), contributing a percentage of that coin-in data to aprogressive jackpot amount, and awarding that jackpot amount to a playerupon the occurrence of a certain jackpot-won event. A jackpot-won eventtypically occurs when a “progressive winning position” is achieved at aparticipating wagering game terminal. If the wagering game terminal is aslot machine, a progressive winning position may, for example,correspond to alignment of progressive jackpot reel symbols along acertain payline. The initial progressive jackpot is a predeterminedminimum amount. That jackpot amount, however, progressively increases asplayers continue to play the slot machine without winning the jackpot.Further, when several wagering game terminals are linked together suchthat several players at several wagering game terminals compete for thesame jackpot, the jackpot progressively increases at a much faster rate,which leads to further player excitement.

Another concept that is often employed is a secondary or “bonus” gameplayed in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may includeany type of game, either similar to or entirely different from the basicgame, and is initiated by the occurrence of certain pre-selected eventsor outcomes of the basic game. The addition of such a bonus game hasbeen found to produce a significantly higher level of player excitementthan the basic game alone because it provides an additional chance toplay, which increases the player's overall expectation of winning.

In existing wagering game terminals, the basic game and the bonus gameare played on an individual, stand-alone basis. That is, each playerplays and wins at his or her own wagering game terminal with little orno participation from other players at other wagering game terminals.There are presently no arrangements where players at several wageringgame terminals may play in competition against each other. Nor are thereany arrangements where a player's success benefits the players againstwhom he or she is competing. It has been observed, however, that theactive participation of other players generates a substantial amount ofexcitement and enjoyment for all players involved.

Accordingly, what is needed is a wagering game terminal that is capableof providing increased excitement and entertainment value over existingwagering game terminals. More specifically, what is needed is a wageringgame terminal that can provide a wagering game in which a player maycompete against other players while both players strive toward a commongoal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method and system for conductinga wagering game having increased excitement and enjoyment over existingwagering games. The method/system of the invention involves a bank ofwagering game terminals connected to a bank server. In addition to abasic wagering game, the wagering game terminals allow players to play abonus game where only one or some of the players may win a prize. In oneimplementation, the prize is a jackpot composed entirely of game creditswon by the players in the bonus game and pooled by the bank server. Inanother implementation, only players at wagering game terminals thatexceed a minimum level of wagering activity may play the bonus game. Theplayer that wins the bonus game receives the jackpot. If there aremultiple winners, the jackpot is distributed amongst the winners basedon their performance in the bonus game or some other criterion.

In general, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a wagering gamesystem. The system comprises a plurality of wagering game terminals,each wagering game terminal capable of conducting a wagering game inwhich an outcome is randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes, theplurality of outcomes including a special-event outcome. The systemfurther comprises a network to which the wagering game terminals areconnected, the network initiating a special-event game session oneligible ones of the wagering game terminals upon occurrence of thespecial-event outcome on one of the wagering game terminals. The networkis configured to apply all monetary amounts won in the special-eventgame session to a special-event jackpot and to award the jackpot to oneor more players at a conclusion of the special-event game session.

In general, in another aspect, the invention is directed to a method ofoperating wagering game terminals. The method comprises the step ofconducting a wagering game on a plurality of wagering game terminals,each wagering game having an outcome that is randomly selected from aplurality of outcomes, the plurality of outcomes including aspecial-event outcome. The method further comprises displaying aspecial-event game on eligible ones of the wagering game terminals uponoccurrence of the special-event outcome on any wagering game terminal.All monetary amounts won by players playing the special-event game areapplied to a special-event jackpot, and the special-event jackpot isawarded to one or more players at a conclusion of the special-event gamebased on a performance of the one or more players in the special-eventgame.

In general, in still another aspect, the invention is directed to awagering terminal. The wagering game terminal comprises a wager inputdevice for accepting a wager from a player at the wagering gameterminal, and a display unit for displaying a wagering game, thewagering game having an outcome that is randomly selected from aplurality of outcomes, the plurality of outcomes including a bonusoutcome. The bonus outcome triggers a bonus game session on the wageringgame terminal in which the player competes against other players atother wagering game terminals for a jackpot. The jackpot is composedentirely of monetary amounts won by the player and the other playersduring the bonus game session pooled together.

In general, in yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a methodof playing a wagering game at wagering game terminals. The methodcomprises the step of conducting a wagering game on the wagering gameterminals, each wagering game having an outcome that is randomlyselected from a plurality of outcomes, the plurality of outcomesincluding a bonus outcome. Upon occurrence of the bonus outcome on anywagering game terminal, a bonus game is initiated on eligible ones ofthe wagering game terminals in which players try to advance from oneround to another. All monetary amounts won by players playing the bonusgame are applied to a jackpot, the jackpot to be awarded to one or moreplayers at a conclusion of the bonus game. Players completing a highernumber of rounds of the bonus game are awarded a larger portion of thejackpot, but a higher number of rounds completed results in a greaterjackpot overall so that all players receiving a portion of the jackpotbenefit from the higher number of rounds completed.

In general, in still another aspect, the invention is directed to amethod of building a jackpot in a bonus game involving multiple wageringgame terminals. The method comprises the steps of determining which onesof the multiple wagering game terminals are eligible for the bonus gameand initiating the bonus game on each eligible wagering game terminal.The method further comprises the steps of contributing to the jackpot apredetermined portion of the monetary amounts won by players playing thebonus game and awarding the jackpot to one or more players at aconclusion of the bonus game based on a performance of said one or moreplayers in said bonus game.

In general, in yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a methodof awarding a jackpot in a bonus game involving multiple wagering gameterminals. The method comprises the steps of determining which ones ofthe multiple wagering game terminals are eligible for the bonus game andinitiating the bonus game on each eligible wagering game terminal. Themethod further comprises the steps of contributing to the jackpot apredetermined portion of the monetary amounts won by players playing thebonus game and awarding the jackpot to one or more players, but lessthan all participating players, at a conclusion of the bonus game basedon a performance of the one or more players in the bonus game.

In general, in still another aspect, the invention is directed to amethod of conducting a bonus game involving multiple wagering gameterminals. The method comprises the steps of determining which ones ofthe multiple wagering game terminals are eligible for the bonus game andthen initiating the bonus game on each eligible wagering game terminal.The method further comprises the steps of contributing to a jackpot apredetermined portion of the monetary amounts won by players playing thebonus game and awarding the jackpot to one or more players at aconclusion of the bonus game based on a performance of the one or moreplayers in the bonus game. Each player's probability of winning thejackpot depends on a wagering activity of the player.

The above summary of the present invention is not intended to representeach embodiment, or every aspect, of the present invention. The detaileddescription and figures will describe many of the embodiments andaspects of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparentupon reading the following detailed description and upon reference tothe drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a wagering game terminalaccording to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the wagering game terminal of FIG. 1 in more detail;

FIG. 3 illustrates a bank of wagering game terminals connected to a bankserver according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a main screen at one of the wagering game terminalsin the bank of wagering game terminal according to one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary bonus game that may be played at one ofthe wagering game terminals in the bank of wagering game terminals; and

FIG. 6 illustrates another exemplary bonus game that may be played atanother one of the wagering game terminals in the bank of wagering gameterminals;

FIG. 7 illustrates the bank of wagering game terminals of FIG. 1 afterelimination of one or more wagering game terminals; and

FIG. 8 illustrates several banks of wagering game terminals connectedtogether to form a super bank according to one embodiment of theinvention.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. Itshould be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to belimited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

As alluded to above, embodiments of the invention provide a system andmethod for playing a wagering game where players at several wageringgame terminals may compete against each other in a bonus game. Theeligibility of the players to participate in and win the bonus game isbased on the amounts wagered at the wagering game terminals. In oneembodiment, instead of keeping their individual winnings, all monetaryamounts won by the players in the bonus game are contributed to a poolor jackpot that one or more of the players may subsequently win. Playeridentification and tracking of the player is not necessary to thepractice of the invention, although these features may certainly beincorporated into the invention. In most embodiments, however, playersmay participate in the group wagering game on an anonymous basis withrespect to the wagering game terminals.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary wagering game terminal100 according to embodiments of the invention. The wagering gameterminal 100 may be operated as a stand-alone terminal, or it may beconnected to a network of wagering game terminals. Further, the wageringgame terminal 100 may be any type of wagering game terminal and may havevarying structures and methods of operation. For example, the wageringgame terminal 100 may be a mechanical wagering game terminal configuredto play mechanical slots, or it may be an electromechanical orelectrical wagering game terminal configured to play a video casinogame, such as blackjack, slots, keno, poker, etc. In the example shown,the wagering game terminal 100 is a video slot machine.

As shown, the wagering game terminal 100 includes input devices, such asa wager acceptor 102 (shown as a card wager acceptor 102 a and a cashwager accepter 102 b), a touch screen 104, a push-button panel 106, apayout mechanism 108, and an information reader 110. The wagering gameterminal 100 further includes a main display 112 for displayinginformation about the basic wagering game and, in some embodiments, asecondary display 114 for displaying a pay table and/or game-relatedinformation or other entertainment features. While these typicalcomponents found in the wagering game terminal 100 are described brieflybelow, it should be understood that numerous other elements may existand may be used in any number of combinations to create variation of thewagering game terminal 100.

The wager acceptors 102 a and 102 b may be provided in many forms,individually or in combination. For example, the cash wager acceptor 102a may include a coin slot acceptor or a note acceptor to input value tothe wagering game terminal 100. The card wager acceptor 102 b mayinclude a card-reading device for reading a card that has a recordedmonetary value with which it is associated. The card wager acceptor 102b may also receive a card that authorizes access to a central accountthat can transfer money to the wagering game terminal 100.

The payout mechanism 108 performs the reverse function of the wageracceptors 102 a and 102 b. For example, the payout mechanism 108 mayinclude a coin dispenser or a note dispenser to dispense money or tokensfrom the wagering game terminal 100. The payout mechanism 108 may alsobe adapted to receive a card that authorizes the wagering game terminal100 to transfer credits from the wagering game terminal 100 to a centralaccount.

The push button panel 106 is typically offered, in addition to the touchscreen 104, to provide players with an option on making their gameselections. Alternatively, the push button panel 106 may facilitateplayer input needed for certain aspects of operating the game, while thetouch screen 104 facilitates player input needed for other aspects ofoperating the game.

The outcome of the basic wagering game is displayed to the player on themain display 112. The main display 112 may take a variety of forms,including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a high resolution LCD, a plasmadisplay, LED, or any other type of video display suitable for use in thewagering game terminal 100. As shown here, the main display 112 alsoincludes the touch screen 104 overlaying the entire display (or aportion thereof) to allow players to make game-related selections.Alternatively, the wagering game terminal 100 may include a number ofmechanical reels that display the game outcome.

In some embodiments, the information reader 110 is a card reader thatallows for identification of a player by reading a card with informationindicating the player's identity. Currently, identification is used bycasinos for rewarding certain players with complimentary services orspecial offers. For example, a player may be enrolled in the gamingestablishment's players' club and may be awarded certain complimentaryservices as that player collects points in his or her player-trackingaccount. The player inserts his or her card into theplayer-identification card reader 110, which allows the casino'scomputers to register that player's wagering at the wagering gameterminal 100. Then, the wagering game terminal 100 may use the secondarydisplay 114 for providing the player with information about his or heraccount or other player-specific information. Also, in some embodiments,the information reader 110 may be used to restore assets that the playerachieved during a previous gaming session and had saved.

As shown in FIG. 2, the various components of the wagering game terminal100 are controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) 200, such as oneor more microprocessors or microcontrollers. To provide the gamingfunctions, the CPU 200 executes a game program that generates a randomlyselected game outcome. The CPU 200 is also coupled to or includes alocal memory 202. The local memory 202 may be in the form of one or morevolatile memories 204 (e.g., a random-access memory (RAM)) and one ormore non-volatile memories 206 (e.g., an EEPROM). Communication betweenthe peripheral components of the wagering game terminal 100 and the CPU200 is controlled by the CPU 200 through input/output (I/O) circuits208. The CPU 200 also communicates with external systems via a networkinterface unit 210. Although the I/O circuit 208 and network interfaceunit 210 are shown here as individual components, it should beappreciated that both of these units may include a number of differenttypes of components.

As alluded to above, the wagering game terminal 100 may be a stand-aloneterminal, or it may be part of a network 212 that connects multiplewagering game terminals 100 together. The network 212 may be apeer-to-peer network, a client/server network, or any other suitablenetwork architecture. FIG. 3 illustrates an example where the network212 is a client/server network. The network 212 includes a bank 300 ofwagering game terminals 100 a, 100 b, 100 c, 100 d connected via networkconnections 302 (e.g., Ethernet, TCP/IP, etc.) to a bank sever 304.Although only four wagering game terminals 100 a-d are shown here, thosehaving ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the bank 300 mayinclude fewer or more wagering game terminals without departing from thescope of the invention. Preferably, the wagering game terminals 100 a-dare located close to one another to enhance the sense of competition andcamaraderie and also to allow the players to more easily see a jackpotdisplay 306 mounted above the wagering game terminals 100 a-d. Thejackpot display 306 displays the current bank jackpot, which may beeither a preset amount or an unspecified amount accumulated by theplayers at the wagering game terminals 100 a-d (as will be explainedbelow).

The wagering game terminals 100 a-d are similar to the wagering gameterminal 100 (see FIG. 1) in that they have many of the same featuresand components. For example, the wagering game terminals 100 a-d allowplayers to play a basic, terminal-level wagering game. Each wageringgame terminal 100 a-d may be configured to play a different basicwagering game, or they all may be configured to play the same basicwagering game. Furthermore, the wagering game terminals 100 a-d mayshare a common theme, such as the PowerBall® lottery, or each wageringgame terminal 100 a-d may have its own theme that is different from theother wagering game terminals 100 a-d.

In some embodiments, one or more functions of the wagering gameterminals 100 a-d may reside on the bank sever 304 instead of, or inaddition to, the wagering game terminals 100 a-d. The bank sever 304 maythen conduct the basic and/or bonus games (or portions thereof) for eachof the wagering game terminals 100 a-d connected to the network 212,including providing the input data and information needed to operate thebasic and/or bonus games. The bank sever 304 may also control theprogressive jackpots mentioned previously that are contributed to by allor some of the wagering game terminals 100 a-d in the network 212 (e.g.,terminal-level jackpots that only each terminal 100 a-d contributes to,bank-level jackpots that are contributed to by all of the terminals 100a-d in a particular bank, and wide-area jackpots that are contributed toby a larger number of terminals 100 a-d, such as multiple banks).

In addition to the basic wagering game, the wagering game terminals 100a-d also allow players to participate in a bank-level or group-levelspecial event conducted by the bank server 304. The special event, whichmay be a group-level bonus game, allows players at eligible wageringgame terminals to compete against each other to win a jackpot.Eligibility may be determined based on the wager amounts or the“turnover” at the wagering game terminals 100 a-d. To help ensure thatonly players who have actually wagered may play, the wager amounts orthe turnover may be obtained as close to the start of the bonus game aspossible.

In one embodiment, eligibility is determined by periodically obtainingwager information from the wagering game terminals 100 a-d connected tothe bank server 304. For example, the bank server 304 may request thatthe wagering game terminals 100 a-d forward their wager information tothe bank server 304 at certain intervals, such as every 30 seconds,every minute, and so forth. The wager information allows the bank server304 to determine whether a player was playing at a wagering gameterminal 100 a-d when the bonus game is started. This avoids undulyawarding a bonus game to a player who has not actually been playing atthe wagering game terminal, but had just stepped up to the wagering gameterminal when the group wagering game began.

The content of the wager information may include, for example, the wageramounts or the turnover and the time when the wagers were placed. Theterm “turnover” as used herein refers to the amount wagered at anywagering game terminal 100 a-d over a predefined interval (e.g., 30seconds, 1 minute, etc.). Eligibility is then determined based on thewager amounts or the turnover at the wagering game terminals 100 a-d,and not on player identification. In one embodiment, players at allwagering game terminals connected to the bank server 304 may playregardless of their wagering activities as long as the players arecurrently playing at the wagering game terminals. In another embodiment,however, the bank server 304 may have additional requirements as towhich wagering game terminals (i.e., which players) are eligible. Forexample, the bank server 304 may require a turnover of at least $1 perunit of time (e.g., a 30 second interval) at the wagering game terminalin order for the player to play the bonus game.

In some embodiments, instead of the bank server 304 determiningeligibility for the wagering game terminals 100 a-d, each wagering gameterminal 100 a-d may determine its own eligibility. In that case, thebank server 304 simply notifies the wagering game terminals 100 a-d thata bonus game is about to begin. Each wagering game terminal 100 a-d thendetermines whether it is eligible and only those wagering game terminals100 a-d that are eligible will inform their respective players of theopportunity to participate in the bonus game. The wagering gameterminals 100 a-d that are not eligible will simply ignore thenotification from the bank server 304.

In embodiments where eligibility is contingent upon a minimum turnoveramount, the period in which eligibility is considered may be the same asthe turnover interval. For other embodiments where a minimum turnoveramount is not required, the eligibility period is not necessarily thesame as the turnover interval and may be longer or shorter. In eithercase, the eligibility period may be defined to expire before the groupwagering game begins. Then, a new eligibility period may start eitherimmediately after the previous eligibility period expires (i.e., withoutany break in between), or it may begin some predetermined amount of timeafter the previous eligibility period expires. In some embodiments, theeligibility period may be defined simply as, for example, a 30-second orone-minute interval immediately preceding the beginning of the bonusgame, regardless of the frequency or timing or the bonus game.

Thus far, player eligibility has been discussed irrespective of theidentity of the player or the type of terminal-level wagering gamesconducted by the wagering game terminals 100 a-d. However, in someembodiments, player eligibility may be determined by using the player'sidentification to track accumulated wagers on the wagering gameterminals 100 a-d. In that case, the player's identification may be readvia the player-identification card reader 110 (see FIGS. 1-2) and usedto monitor the wagers. If the player has accumulated a certain minimumwager amount over a predetermined time period, then he or she may playthe bonus game. The player's identification may also be used for otheractivities, such as awarding monthly prizes and so forth.

Operation of the above exemplary bank 300 of wagering game terminals isdescribed with respect to FIGS. 4-7. FIG. 4 illustrates the main display112 of one of the wagering game terminals 100 a-d, for example, thefirst wagering game terminal 100 a. Shown on the main display 112 is abasic wagering game, for example, a video slot machine having a“Quackers” theme. Touch screen buttons 104 allow players to place bets,select paylines, and otherwise control the video slot machine. The videoslot machine includes a plurality of reels, one of which is indicated at400. Each reel 400 contains several symbols 402, including aspecial-event symbol 404, which may be a “Quackers” symbol or the like.The occurrence of the special-event symbol 404 in the basic wageringgame triggers a special event, such as a bonus game, on all eligiblewagering game terminals 100 a-d on the bank 300 of wagering gameterminals.

During the course of normal play, the bank server 304 periodicallyassesses the players at the wagering game terminals 100 a-d on theirlevel of turnover. As mentioned earlier, turnover refers to the amountof money wagered at the wagering game terminal over a predeterminedinterval (e.g., 30 seconds, one minute, etc.). Players who have a levelof turnover that exceeds a minimum eligibility requirement receive aneligibility indicator on the main display 112 of their wagering gameterminal 100 a-d. In the example shown, the eligibility indicator may bein the form of a virtual token 406. In some cases, the virtual token 406may include an identifier for identifying the wagering game terminal,such as a terminal number (e.g., number 1821). Then, additional virtualtokens 408 may be displayed on the main display 112 to show theeligibility of neighboring players. In some embodiments, the same colormay be used for all virtual tokens 406 and 408, or different colors maybe used to reflect different levels of turnover.

When the special-event symbol 404 occurs, a special event, such as abonus game, is triggered on the wagering game terminals 100 a-d. Thebonus game here may be a type of bonus game where players competeagainst each other, and may include an individual game or a group game.In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, all monetary amountswon by the players during the bonus game is contributed to a jackpot.This allows the players to build up the jackpot from scratch at thestart of each bonus game. At the conclusion of the bonus game, one ormore players are awarded the jackpot based on their performance duringthe bonus game. The player's performance may be measured, for example,according to the number of rounds the player completed in the bonusgame, the total monetary amount the player contributed to the jackpot,and other similar performance measures. Furthermore, the performance maybe measured relative to other players, or it may be compared againstcasino standards.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary bonus game that is displayed on one ofthe wagering game terminals 100 a-d upon occurrence of the special-eventsymbol 404. A similar or identical bonus game is displayed on alleligible wagering game terminals 100 a-d at this time. This bonus gamemay be displayed on the main display 112 of the wagering game terminals100 a-d, or it may be displayed on the secondary display 114. In theexample shown, the bonus game is an individual bonus game that eachplayer plays at his or her own wagering game terminal 100 a-dindependently of other players, although at the same time as otherplayers. In accordance with embodiments of the invention, each playerplays the bonus game in competition with other players participating inthe bonus game, as will be explained below.

The bonus game here may be a player selection game where each player ispresented with an array 500 of picks. In one embodiment, the picks maybe in the form of presents 502, each present revealing a prize whenselected. The prizes may include, for example, various amounts of gamecredits, a game-advancement symbol, and a game-termination symbol.Selection of the game-termination symbol (FIG. 6) results in the bonusgame being terminated for the player. Selection of the game-advancementsymbol results in the player automatically advancing to the next roundof the bonus game, which may be a similar player selection game, or itmay be an entirely different type of game. Regardless, whether theplayer selects a game-advancement symbol or a game-termination symboldepends more on chance than on any player skills. However, as will bedescribed further below, some players may be given a higher probabilityof selecting one or the other type of symbol, depending on the player'swagering activity.

In some embodiments, all participating players start each round of thebonus game together so that the pace of the game is dictated by theslowest player. Advancing players start the next round of the bonus gameonly when all instances of the previous round have been completed. Inother embodiments, all participating players proceed through the roundsof the bonus game at their own pace so that no player is waiting on anyother player. In a case where there is only one participating player oreligible wagering game terminal (e.g., during casino off-peak periods),that player naturally controls his or her own pace in the bonus game.

In one embodiment of the invention, all game credits uncovered byparticipating players are pooled by the bank server 304 to build up thejackpot. Thus, in this embodiment, the entire jackpot is made of theplayers' winnings from the bonus game (as opposed to wagers from thebasic wagering game). As a result, no additional funding is needed forthe jackpot, since the funding is already factored into the bonus game.The above arrangement does, however, result in a curious combination ofcompetition and camaraderie. On one hand, each player wants the otherplayers to be terminated so that he or she can win the jackpot. But eachplayer also wants the other players to continue playing as long aspossible before being terminated in order to build up the jackpot.

In other embodiments, only a certain portion of the players' winningsfrom the bonus game are contributed to the jackpot and the players keepthe rest. In still other embodiments, the players keep all orsubstantially all of their winnings from the bonus game and the jackpotis funded mostly or entirely through another mechanism (e.g., theexpected value from the players' wagers). In these embodiments, theplayers have a chance to both keep some or all of their bonus gamewinnings and also win the jackpot.

In the example of FIG. 5, the player has selected four different creditamounts: 15 credits, 50 credits, 25 credits, and 20 credits. Thus, theplayer has contributed a total of 110 game credits to the jackpot in thecurrent bonus game, as indicated by a player contribution meter 504. Aremaining-players indicator 506 indicates the number of playersremaining (e.g., 3 players) in the bonus game, and a jackpot indicator508 indicates the current total value (e.g., $39,903) of the jackpot. Inaddition to the various credit amounts, the player has also selected agame-advancement symbol 510, which may be a star symbol in oneembodiment. When this happens, the current round of the bonus game isstopped and the player automatically advances to the next round of thebonus game.

Alternatively, as can be seen in FIG. 6, it is also possible for theplayer to select a game-termination symbol 600. When this happens, thecurrent round of the bonus game simply stops and the player is returnedto the basic wagering game. The remaining-players indicator 506 isthereafter decremented on the wagering game terminals 100 a-d of eachremaining player to reflect the decreased number of players. This latteraspect is illustrated graphically in FIG. 7, where players at the firstand third wagering game terminals 100 a and 100 c have now beeneliminated from the bonus game. Note that the size of the jackpot hasgrown from $0 to more than $77,000 and will continue growing to anunspecified amount as long as players continue contributing to thejackpot.

In some embodiments, the bank server 304 may provide different playerswith a different number of game-advancement symbols 510 orgame-termination symbols 600. The bank server 304 may use an algorithmthat involves the turnover for a player to determine the number ofgame-advancement or game-termination symbols 510 or 600 that will beprovided to the player. For example, players who have a higher turnovermay be given more game-advancement symbols 510, or fewergame-termination symbols 600, than other players. In this way, playerswho wager more have a more favorable chance of selecting agame-advancement symbol 510 and advancing than players who wager less.

The above scheme may be implemented for all rounds of the bonus game asa way to reward players who wager more. It may also be implemented onlyfor the initial round of the bonus game as a sort of first-pass filterto quickly reduce the number of participating players. Then, players whomake it to the subsequent rounds are given an equal number ofgame-advancement symbols 510 or game-termination symbols 600. Othertechniques for reducing the number of participating players may also beused without departing from the scope of the invention, includingincreasing the eligibility requirements, and so on. Note that while thenumber of game-advancement symbols 510 or game-termination symbols 600for a given player is determined by the bank server 304, the placementof the symbols 510 and 600 in the array 500 may be determined by eachwagering game terminal 100 a-d independently of the bank server 304. Anexemplary implementation of the above scheme is shown in TABLE 1. TABLE1 Turnover Virtual Token Star Symbols   $0-$2.50 Bronze Coin 1$2.51-$5.00 Silver Coin 2  $5.01-$10.00 Gold Coin 3

In TABLE 1, if a player bets more than the $10 shown in the third rowduring a turnover interval, he or she will be given more than threegame-advancement symbols 510 (e.g., star symbols). Thus, if the playerbets $13 during a turnover interval, he or she will be given fivegame-advancement symbols 510 (i.e., 3+2=5 star symbols).

At the conclusion of the bonus game, the jackpot is awarded to one orpossibly several of the participating players, but not all of theparticipating players. Of course, if there is only one player to beginwith, then that player will be awarded the jackpot, assuming he or sheendures to the conclusion of the bonus game. In one embodiment, thebonus game is concluded when a certain number of rounds have beencompleted, in which case all remaining players will share the jackpot.The jackpot may be shared evenly by all the remaining players, or it maybe divided according to each player's contribution to the jackpot, orsome other criterion.

In another embodiment, the bonus game is concluded when only one playerremains in the bonus game, in which case that player is awarded theentire jackpot. In yet another embodiment, the bonus game is concludedwhen there are no players remaining in the bonus game and the lastplayer to be terminated is awarded the entire jackpot. The maindifference in these two implementations, of course, is that in thelatter case, the last player can continue to build the jackpot until heor she is terminated, thus further increasing the size of the jackpot.

In yet another embodiment, instead of awarding the entire jackpot to onewinning player, it is possible to share the jackpot with some of theeliminated players. For example, the second and/or third place playersmay be awarded a percentage of the total jackpot, even though they didnot win the bonus game. Under this arrangement, the second and/or thirdplace players will compete against the first-place player until they areeliminated, then they will root for the first-place player to continueplaying, since they will receive a percentage of any additional creditsthat the first-place player contributes to the jackpot.

Sometimes, a bonus game may be initiated while a player is in the middleof a basic wagering game. When that happens, the player is usuallyunable to participate in the new bonus game. In order not to excludethese players from the bonus game, in one embodiment, players may be“grandfathered” into the bonus game whereby they retain the opportunityto play the bonus game for a predetermined time period (e.g., up to oneminute). After the player completes the basic wagering game, he or shemay then start playing the bonus game. This arrangement allows theplayers to wrap up their basic wagering games without losing theopportunity to play the bonus game. It is also possible to freeze orsuspend the basic wagering game while the player plays the bonus game,then resume the basic wagering game when the bonus game is concluded.

While only a single game bank 300 (see FIG. 3) has been described thusfar, in some embodiments, it is possible to link several game bankstogether over a LAN or WAN to form a super bank 800, such as the oneshown in FIG. 8. As can be seen, the super bank 800 is composed ofseveral game banks 300 a, 300 b, 300 c and 300 d, each having its ownbank server, that are connected to a super bank server 802. The superbank 800 operates in a similar way to the game bank 300 of FIG. 3,except that it conducts a bonus game involving players at multiple gamebanks 300 a-d.

To determine player eligibility, wager information is providedperiodically from the game banks 300 a-d to the super bank server 802.Eligibility may again be based on the wager amounts or the turnover atthe wagering game terminals, irrespective of player identity or thetypes of game played at the wagering game terminals. It is also possibleto determine eligibility on a per bank basis instead of a per wageringgame terminal basis so that all wagering game terminals at a game bank300 a-d may be eligible based on the total wager amounts or the totalturnover for an entire game bank 300 a-d.

From the foregoing, a number of advantages of the invention can bediscerned, including a bonus game where players at a bank of wageringgame terminals can play against each other while also rooting for eachother, thus fostering both competition and camaraderie. In addition,since the performance of the players depends more on chance than onskill, the playing field is substantially level for all players. It ispossible, however, to reward certain players who wager more by awardingthose players with more opportunities to advance. Further, embodimentsof the invention can result in an unspecified jackpot amount thatdepends entirely on the players' performances, thus giving the players agreater sense of control and ownership over the bonus game.

While the present invention has been described with reference to one ormore particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognizethat many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. Each of these embodiments andobvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spiritand scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the followingclaims.

1. A wagering game system, comprising: a plurality of wagering gameterminals, each wagering game terminal capable of conducting a wageringgame in which an outcome is randomly selected from a plurality ofoutcomes, including a special-event outcome; and a network to which saidwagering game terminals are connected, said network initiating aspecial-event game session on eligible ones of said wagering gameterminals upon occurrence of said special-event outcome on one of saidwagering game terminals; wherein said network is configured to apply allmonetary amounts won in said special-event game session to aspecial-event jackpot and to award said jackpot to one or more playersat a conclusion of said special-event game session.
 2. The wagering gamesystem according to claim 1, wherein said special-event game sessionincludes an initial round and each player's probability of advancingbeyond said initial round depends on said player's wager amounts priorto beginning said special-event game session.
 3. The wagering gamesystem according to claim 1, wherein said special-event game sessionincludes multiple rounds and each player's probability of advancingbeyond each round depends on said player's wager amounts prior tobeginning said special-event game session.
 4. The wagering game systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said conclusion of said special-event gamesession occurs when only one player remains, said server awarding all ofsaid jackpot to said one remaining player.
 5. The wagering game systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said conclusion of said special-event gamesession occurs when only one player remains, said server awarding aportion of said jackpot to one or more eliminated players based on aperformance of said eliminated players or on a final size of saidjackpot.
 6. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein saidconclusion of said special-event game session occurs when no playerremains, said server awarding a portion of said jackpot to one or moreeliminated players based on a performance thereof.
 7. The wagering gamesystem according to claim 1, wherein said conclusion of saidspecial-event game session occurs when a certain number of rounds iscompleted, said server dividing said jackpot between all playersremaining at said conclusion.
 8. The wagering game system according toclaim 1, wherein said wagering game is a slot machine game and saidspecial-event outcome includes a special symbol appearing on said slotmachine game.
 9. The wagering game system according to claim 1, whereineach eligible wagering game terminal displays a current number ofplayers participating in said special-event game session.
 10. A methodof operating wagering game terminals, comprising: conducting a wageringgame on a plurality of wagering game terminals, each wagering gamehaving an outcome that is randomly selected from a plurality ofoutcomes, including a special-event outcome; displaying a special-eventgame on eligible ones of said wagering game terminals upon occurrence ofsaid special-event outcome on any wagering game terminal; applying allmonetary amounts won by players playing said special-event game to aspecial-event jackpot; and awarding said special-event jackpot to one ormore players at a conclusion of said special-event game based on aperformance of said one or more players in said special-event game. 11.The method according to claim 10, wherein said special-event game iscomposed of an array of picks from which a player may select one-by-oneto reveal a prize, including game credits, a game-termination symbol,and a game-advancement symbol.
 12. The method according to claim 11,further comprising giving each player a number of game-advancementsymbols or game-termination symbols based on said player's wageringactivity on said wagering game.
 13. The method according to claim 11,further comprising compiling said player's wagering activity on saidwagering game before a start of said special-event game.
 14. The methodaccording to claim 13, wherein said player's wagering activity on saidwagering game is compiled for a predetermined interval before said startof said special-event game.
 15. The method according to claim 10,wherein said performance of said one or more players in saidspecial-event game is determined relative to other players playing saidspecial-event game.
 16. The method according to claim 10, wherein saidperformance of said one or more players in said special-event game isdetermined relative to a gaming establishment standard for saidspecial-event game.
 17. A computer readable storage medium encoded withinstructions for directing a wagering game terminal to perform themethod of claim
 10. 18. A method of building a jackpot in a bonus gameinvolving multiple wagering game terminals, comprising: determiningwhich ones of said multiple wagering game terminals are eligible forsaid bonus game; initiating said bonus game on each eligible wageringgame terminal; contributing to said jackpot a predetermined portion ofmonetary amount won by player playing said bonus game; and awarding saidjackpot to one or more players at a conclusion of said bonus game basedon a performance of said one or more players in said bonus game.
 19. Themethod according to claim 18, wherein said predetermined portionincludes substantially all of said monetary amounts won by said playersplaying said bonus game.
 20. The method according to claim 18, whereinsaid predetermined portion includes substantially less than all of saidmonetary amounts won by said players playing said bonus game and aremainder of said jackpot is funded by another mechanism.